2024 ... Where did it go?
Where indeed?
Much of the year has been taken up with moving house and an author/storyteller study space is a house within a house. But all the same, many adventures were squeezed in. So working backwards from December …
In December I had all the fun of attending the Language in Community Festival in Footscray and cheering along my brilliant bilingual storytelling friends. This is unique event in the festival calendar celebrating the diversity of languges spoken in Naarm Melbourne.
From L-R: Priti Modyiyer, Anna Manuel, Rohini Vij, Dee Palanisamy - simply the best!
In November Sarah and I took the the stage as part of a celebratory afternoon marking the achievements of the multiple groups that make up the Newport Fiddle and Folk Club. Along with my good friends Em Chandler and Adrian Newington, I coordinate the Newport Storytellers - a small and enthusiastic group of language lovers. Definitely worth an end of year party!
Sarah Depasquale on violin
In August, together with this team of some of my favourite people in the universe, Newport Storytellers hosted the annual Australian Fairy Tale Society Conference. We attracted participants from around Australia to Newport, and thanks to Zoom, people were also able to check in on some sessions from afar. Check out the AFTS website - the next conference is in Sydney.
Dee Palanisamy, Adrian Newington, Em Chandler, Priti Modyiyer and Jackie Kerin.
And in May, Sarah and I travelled to tell the story of The Amazing Case of Dr Ward at the Ballarat Heritage Festival. We were the guests of the Friends of the Ballarat Botanic Gardens and they looked after us like royalty. The Friends operate out of a cottage in the gardens and its filled with botanical tales of all sorts and of course the story of plant transportation to Australia in Wardian cases on board ships.
Me and Sarah telling the story The Amazing case of Dr Ward on the deck of the cottage.
Well I’ve skipped a few adventures - this is just a taste of what was 2024. I’m looking forward to what 2025 has to offer. The life of an author/storyteller is always unpredictable - just how I like it. Wishing you all the very best for the year to come.